Unlocking Employee Performance: Work-Life Balance, Quality of Work Life, Job Satisfaction, and Workload in the Public Sector

Abstract

This study examines the effects of work-life balance and quality of work life on employee performance, with job satisfaction as a mediating variable and workload as a moderating variable. The research was conducted at the National Road Implementation Agency of South Kalimantan, involving 158 civil servants. A quantitative explanatory approach was applied using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM). The results show that work-life balance, quality of work life, and job satisfaction are positively associated with employee performance. Work-life balance and quality of work life also positively affect job satisfaction, confirming its mediating role. However, workload does not have a significant direct effect on employee performance, but significantly weakens the relationship between quality of work life and performance. These findings highlight that improving employee well-being must be accompanied by proper workload management to achieve optimal performance outcomes.